Dark Spark
by TehMarishal
Summary: What would happen if Transmutate actually survived, and helped Rampage find happiness for the first time in his life? Oneshot, please R&R.


Rampage wept silently as he cradled Transmutate's head in his arms. This was the first time he'd ever cried over someone. But it was also the first time he'd ever found someone so much like him.

He was what some people might call an empath. He could feel the emotions of others, and he fed off of fear as well as rage and hatred. But fear was the most delicious of all; he'd gotten a feast of fear when he'd attacked all of the Maximals on Omicron Colony. But while Transmutate was alive… he could sense its pain, its power, and darkness within its spark… things which he could identify with. He saw it as a kindred spirit, the only person who he could ever identify with.

And now it was gone, looking like something that belonged on the scrap heap.

He was vaguely aware of Silverbolt telling the Maximal leader, who had just arrived with the pussycat, to leave him be. "For the moment, we are brothers," the Fuzor said. Rampage felt a flicker of something deep within his own spark. Was it… gratitude? Yes… he felt grateful to Silverbolt.

Rampage didn't even notice when the Maximals had quietly moved away. At least they started to; Optimus and Cheetor presumably headed back to their base, but Silverbolt lingered behind.

"Go away," Rampage uttered, when he realized that the Fuzor was standing just behind him.

"No," Silverbolt said, grimly looking at the remains of their mutual friend scattered about the ground. "Not until we give our dear friend a proper burial."

Rampage looked up at Silverbolt, glaring as he cradled Transmutate's head against his torso plate. "If you had not been here, it might still be alive!" he said bitterly. "Just go away! Leave us… leave me to my bitterness. I'm letting you go now, Fuzor, but one day, I will scrap you as painfully as possible!" The threat hung between them for a few moments.

Silverbolt hung his head, sighing. In some ways, he wasn't sure if this wasn't his fault. But what else could he have done? They had no way of knowing Transmutate would do what she did, just to keep them from destroying each other. It could be said that she nobly sacrificed herself to keep them from killing each other…

Silverbolt blinked. He suddenly realized he had begun to think of Transmutate as "her" instead of "it". But… somehow he knew that she was female, and she certainly deserved to be called something besides "it", especially in light of her death.

_She also deserves to have her sacrifice honored and remembered,_ Silverbolt thought. _It would not do to have Rampage and I harm each other further by fighting over her remains to give her a funeral…_

"I will leave," Silverbolt finally said, "on one condition."

Rampage snarled impatiently. "And that is?"

"Give her an honorable burial." Silverbolt's voice was grim and serious.

Rampage glanced up from her broken and scattered body, looking directly at Silverbolt. The Fuzor saw something odd in his eyes, something he'd never seen on the mutant's face before. "She deserves nothing less," Rampage said in a distant way, his voice barely audible.

The mutant transformer turned back to Transmutate. "Now leave," he commanded.

Silverbolt transformed to his wolf/eagle beast mode, cast a final glance toward Transmutate and Rampage, then turned and flew away, heading back to base.

Rampage quietly and reverently began to collect Transmutate's remains into a pile. _That's right, Fuzor, go away,_ he thought. _Go far away. And pray that I never see you again, especially in battle._

Rampage finished gathering the remains of Transmutate into a neat pile, and then he considered what he would do next. There were several possibilities, and he had to determine which would be the best for her. He could bury her in rocks, or bury her in the planet's soil, or he could possibly cremate her remains.

Then he got another idea. He knew of a cave not to far from his current location, a small cave. Perhaps he could lay her to rest in there, and then seal the entrance. Then he would leave some sort of marker outside, in order to honor her.

So with that, he gently scooped up all of her parts, and began to make the journey through the forest. He walked slowly and carefully, not wanting to drop any part of her.

After about an hour of walking, he arrived at his destination, and went to work to putting her within the cave. He arranged her as neatly as he could, so that she would look at least something like she had when she was alive. Yet even after he lay all of her parts out, he realized he couldn't even fool himself with the illusion. It was like trying to put a complex puzzle back together when all of the pieces had been burned, chipped and damaged.

"Goodbye, my friend," Rampage said, gently reaching out to tough her head. Then, after a moment of silence, he rose and slowly backed away. "Rest well, for all eternity." Then he aimed his blaster just above the entrance, ready to seal it.

However, something made him hesitate.

He could have sworn he saw something, even just a flicker of movement in her facial features. He also thought he _felt_ something from her, something akin to pain and faint desperation.

He stared at her, part of him hoping, _dearly_ hoping that she was indeed still functioning, and attempting to repair herself. But at the same time he knew that it was impossible. He'd seen the life go out of her eyes and felt her spark fade…

Hadn't he?

He slowly lowered his weapon, and took a few steps toward the entrance. _I felt her spark fade,_ he thought, looking curiously at her, _but did I really feel it… go out?_

"Transmutate," he said softly, reaching out toward her, but not touching her. "Can you hear me? Are you still… functioning?"

There was a flicker of movement, and then her eyes lit up, and she _looked_ at him!

"I… am… hurt," she managed slowly, having a very difficult time speaking.

"Transmutate!" Rampage shouted joyously—she was _alive! _He gently picked her head up, cradling it gently in his hands. "Oh I knew your spark was powerful, but I never knew your power could—" He stopped, then looked down at her. "Do you have an immortal spark, too?" he breathed, gazing deeply into her eyes.

She blinked at him, and then he gently put her head down. "Do not speak," he said gently. "I am here to help you."

Even as he said it, he became aware he didn't know how exactly to help her. He just knew that he needed to do something, because she was in pain, and she was struggling to repair herself. He could sense a determined sense of will—she refused to die, just like when her stasis pod had been damaged. And now, he had to do everything he could to help her.

"Oh," he breathed, as an idea suddenly came to him. "I know how I can help you…" It would be risky, and in some ways it would be an enormous violation of privacy for them both; all of their thoughts would be laid bare to one another. And yet, Rampage found that he didn't mind. He'd always wanted someone who could understand him completely, and Transmutate was someone he didn't mind sharing his spark—his entire being—with. He'd already sensed so many things about her… all he wanted was to share even more with her, and to know her even better.

"Transmutate," he said gently, leaning over her, "will you trust me?"

Her eyes had dimmed a bit, but now they brightened a little. "Trust," was she could manage, but it was enough.

Rampage immediately kneeled down and bent over her, opening her torso casing to access her spark. Once he got her open, he saw her spark with his eyes for the first time, and it was everything he had sensed. It glowed brightly in its casing, a colorful orb of blue and orange.

Then he loosened the casing on his chest, removing his own torso plate, and his spark glowed brightly, almost in rhythm with Transmutate's. Then he leaned against her, pressing his chest against hers, so that his spark could be as close as possible to hers.

Then, in an instant, he sent his spark toward hers—and their sparks joined, merging.

Both of them screamed in unison—Transmutate was in pain and had never merged her spark with anyone else's before, and Rampage was momentarily overwhelmed by her pain. But after a moment, the pain and discomfort eased as they both joined their strength together, and then Transmutate's body began to repair itself, coming back together.

When the repair process was complete, Rampage withdrew, almost reluctantly. His spark gently detached itself from hers, and they separated. Then his spark returned to its original casing, and he replaced his torso plating.

Then he looked at Transmutate, and let out a gasp of joy at seeing her whole again. Her body was still malformed and twisted, but she was alive, and she would continue to live.

"Oh my," Rampage murmured as he reached out to her and gently took her hands into his own, "I think I have just realized… we still share a link." He looked into her eyes. "We are now… bonded in a sense," he said.

Then he pulled her into an embrace. "I now know you better than I've ever known anyone," he whispered.

She made no reply, although through their link, he could tell what her reply would have been if she could talk. She had the same emotions and thoughts as anyone else, in her own way; it was just due to her impaired mental faculties that she didn't know how to express it. But if she could communicate properly, Rampage knew she would have said, "I understand you, too."

"Transmutate," Rampage said, placing a gentle hand on her cheek and stroking her face, "I… I love you."

Her face brightened, and he felt a surge of emotion from her spark. "Love," she spoke aloud softly. Again, through their link, he could also detect her thoughts, and knew what she was thinking. _I love you, too._

He embraced her tightly, and kissed her. And for the first time in his life… he was truly happy.

**The End.**


End file.
